In the retail industry, the largest expenditures are typically the cost of the goods sold followed closely by the cost of labor expended. The impetus to reduce labor costs has focused on reducing or eliminating the amount of time required to handle and/or process the items or goods to be purchased by a customer. To this end, there have been a number of self-service checkout terminals developed which attempt to substantially eliminate the need for a checkout clerk.
A self-service checkout terminal is operated by a customer without the aid of a checkout clerk. Hence, during operation of a self-service checkout terminal, the customer scans individual items for purchase across a scanner and then places the scanned items into a bag, if desired. The customer then pays for his or her purchases either at the self-service checkout terminal if so equipped, or at a central payment area which is staffed by a store employee. Thus, a self-service checkout terminal permits a customer to select, itemize, and in some cases pay for his or her purchases without the assistance of the retailer's personnel.
However, it should be appreciated that a given retailer may have a number of reservations in regard to implementation of self-service checkout terminals into the retailer's operation. In particular, a number of retailers fear that the retailer's customers may not embrace the idea of using self-service checkout terminals to checkout their items for purchase thereby potentially causing the terminals to go unused in the retailer's store. In such a situation, the retailer would have expended a relatively substantial sum of money for a checkout terminal which is not being utilized thereby increasing costs associated with the retailer's operation.
As a result of this, a number of “convertible” checkout terminals have heretofore been designed. A convertible checkout terminal is a system that can be operated in a “self-service mode” in which a customer operates the terminal without the assistance of store personnel, but also transformed in order to be operated in an “assisted mode” in which the terminal is operated by a checkout clerk or the like. Such terminals have the advantage in that the operation of the terminal may be altered to fit the immediate needs of the retailer's operation.
In regard to such convertible checkout terminals, many times certain pieces of hardware go unutilized based on whether the terminal is being operated in its self-service mode or assisted mode. For example, a convertible checkout terminal may be equipped with currency handlers such as cash acceptors and cash dispensers which are utilized when the terminal is being operated in self-service mode, but, for various reasons, are not utilized during operation of the terminal in its assisted mode. Once such reason is that the retailer may desire to simply have the clerk collect cash and thereafter tender change via use of a cash drawer or the like since the clerk is present anyway.
Another reason involves the software applications being utilized during operation of the terminal. Specifically, for issues such as cost and reliability, the software application being utilized during operation of the checkout terminal in assisted mode is often the same software application that is utilized in dedicated assisted checkout terminals (i.e. non-convertible, clerk-operated terminals). As such, the software application is generally not configured to provide for operation of the cash acceptors and cash dispensers since such components are not present on dedicated assisted checkout terminals. One manner to overcome this problem is to completely rewrite the software application to provide for such functionality. However, this approach is very expensive and is not likely to be commercially acceptable, especially in the case of retrofitting existing terminals already owned by the retailer.
What is needed therefore is a checkout terminal which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is particularly needed is a method and apparatus of operating a checkout terminal which allows for the utilization of additional hardware without requiring the rewriting of the terminal's original software application.